Michael Wong

The single is arguably the most successful Chinese language song of the 21st century.

Michael Wong Kong Leong (Hakka Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Vòng Kông-liòng; born 30 August 1970), also known mononymously by his Chinese name Guang Liang, is a Malaysian Chinese singer and composer who has sung and written many love-themed ballads and love songs, many of which have high popularity.

He is popularly known in the Mandopop scene as the "Prince of Love Songs" (情歌王子).

Wong began his singing career in a duo with Victor Wong.

The pair had attained notable success in Taiwan, but in a mutual agreement, the two split in 2000.

Wong has released five solo albums since then, the third one being his breakthrough album, Fairy Tale.

He has achieved a great success in Taiwan, mainland China, Hong Kong and Malaysia where he is based.

Wong has also helped several other successful singers by composing songs for them, including the ballad "Courage" (勇氣), which was originally sung by Fish Leong.

Born in Ipoh, Malaysia to a Hakka family, he is the elder of two children.

He has a younger sister.

Wong, as a devoted Catholic, often sang in the church choir during his school days and was once a choir teacher at a church.

Graduating from Sam Tet School in Ipoh, Wong often participated in musical performances in school and has been writing his own songs since secondary school.

After he moved to Kuala Lumpur to pursue a course in computer engineering, his interest in the world of music and music composition began to grow.

Entering from up to 30 singing competitions in town in a single year, where he managed to surface as the winner several times, were also the stepping stones to his successful singing career today.

Finally noticed by Asia Pacific Music in the Pioneer karaoke contest, he started to learn Audio Engineering at Ocean Institute Of Audio Engineering during his contract with Asia Pacific Music as a recording artist.

After his graduation, Michael produced his first album with two other college mates, Chan and Tan.

With the joining of Victor Wong as a singer during that period, they submitted the album, with the theme song written by Michael, "掌心“ (The Palm) to Rock Records, which in turn, signed them up almost immediately. They then formed a duo group more commonly known in Malaysia as Michael & Victor or Guang Liang Pin Guan (光良品冠). In Taiwan and China, they were mostly known as Wu Yin Liang Pin (無印良品), a name given by their record label in Taiwan.

The duo then arguably became the first Malaysians to attain much success in the music scene in Taiwan.

Their albums managed to hit the top notch both locally and in Taiwan as their debut album went platinum in both Malaysia and Taiwan.

After a few splendid and successful years together as a duo in the Chinese music scene, during which the pair secured countless awards for their success, Michael and Victor then decided it was time to part cordially and go their own ways in the music scene as solo singers in year 2000.

Not long after the announcement, Wong worked hard to compose and write new songs for his new solo album, Michael's First Album (第一次個人創作專輯; Dì Yī Cì Gè Rén Chuàng Zuò Zhuān Jí), which performed above expectation.

Although Wong's company promptly decided that he should produce his first solo album on his own, he did not agree straight away.

This is because he was not confident that he was skilful enough to produce one whole album all by himself.

However, after much contemplation, Wong finally accepted the challenge and was successful in breaking away from the Michael & Victor mould.

Other than working on his own album, Wong also found time to co-produce other singers' albums like Rene Liu and Fish Leong.

Wong released his second album, Ray of Light (光芒; Guāng Máng), in November 2002.

It then became the number one album, in sales, in Taiwan.

After releasing two solo albums on his own, Wong's fans had to wait another two years before he finally launched his much-anticipated album, Fairy Tale (Tong Hua).

The first single from this album, "Fairy Tale", Wong wrote and composed by himself.

Wong, who is more of a composer and hardly wrote lyrics, asked about 30 lyricists for suggestions for this particular song.

After finally adding a finishing touch to the song with lyrics he wrote himself, he then left it to be arranged and produced by the experienced Japanese producer Taichi Nakamura (producer).

After rejecting the first few songs he short-listed himself for the album with his sense of perfection, Wong eventually re-selected some songs himself and finally rooted for his ten favourite songs to be cut into the album, of which six were co-written by himself.

His two years of hard work finally paid off when this album immediately attained success; it is critically acclaimed to be Wong's best-selling album yet.

Michael Wong's contract with Rock Records ended on 31 December 2004, but he decided to continue to promote for the album Fairy Tale, released in January 2005.

"Fairy Tale" has proven to be his strongest single yet by shooting up to No. 1 immediately after it was released in January 2005, making it to the top of the download counter Baidu 500 for 15 weeks as Asia was swept by the "Fairy Tale Tornado".

After the promotion period finished, Wong has made the biggest decision in his singing career by announcing his departure from his longtime recording company, Rock Records, in July 2005.

After 10 years being contracted with Rock Records, Wong is now officially signed to Amusic.

The reason of his departure from Rock Records was because Rock Records believed that since his music was so simple, it was not music.

Thus, they ignored him.

As of 2012 it is still among the top in the karaoke charts.